Electric controller



March 10. 1925.

C. S. SCHROEDER ELEGTRI'C CONTROLLER 1921 2 SheetsLSheet l Filed 001,.28

Mart-2h10. 1925. A 1,529,220

c. s. SCHROEDER l ELECTRIC CONTROLLER Filed Oct. 28, 3921 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Tru-l... I

j 75l,6 1/0 '/5 3939 om 42 3 Y 4 I v l; A 6( i" I nlllll` lli f 405 f x2 'l n 34 HOUNLIS Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNiTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. SCHROEDER, 0F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE &TOWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.'

Application led October 28, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. SCHROEDER,

of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electric controllers and moreparticularly to that of the drum type,-one object of the invention beingto provide a controller construction which shall be durable and coinpactand which will lend itself conveniently for use in the space availableto receive it on a motor vehicle, particularly on an indus-v trial truckor tractor.

A further object is to so construct the drum of the controller thateither half therep of may be readily removed to facilitate inspection orrepair.

A further object is to improve the construction and operating means ofthe cutinvention consists in certain novel featuresv of construction andcombinations and arrangements ofparts as hereinafter set forth andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure` 1 is a plan or face view of anelectric controlf ler embodying my improvements; Figure 2 v is atransverse sectional viewV on the line Qf-Q of Figure 1; Figure 3 is aview in section on the line .3 3 of Figure 1; and F ig-l ure 4 is a viewon the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

The mechanism of the controller is contained within a casing 1, whichmay comprise two members hinged together and normally held closed bymeans of a suitable latch.

A frame 2 is secured within the casing and is provided at its respectiveends with f standards 3, 4 having suitable bearings for a shaft 5 towhich a controller drum 6 is seseriai No. 511,162.

-cured. The controller drum comprises two heads 7 and 8, each rigidlysecured to the a citizen of the United States, and a resident shaft 5,andtwo segments 9, 9 connecting said heads and carrying the movablecontact blocks 10, 10a 10b of the controller, the contact blocks on therespective segments being arranged in a manner well understood in theart and adapted for cooperation with a series of contact fingers whichare mounted and constructed as hereinafter explained. Each of thesegments 9 which comprise the body portion of the drum is composed ofsuitable non-conducting material curved transversely to accommodate thecurvature of the contact blocks and having flanges 11 at its edgesbetween which the larger contact blocks are located. Transverse ribs 12are formed on the intermediate portion of each segment and serve tostrengthen the same and also to provide abutments for the smallercontact block 10a, an insulating strip 13 being disposed between thiscontact block and portions of the larger contact blocks 10. Thecontactblocks on each segment of the drum body are secured in place by means ofscrews 14 passing through said segments from the inside and enteringthreaded sockets in said blocks, so that noy .portions of the contactsurfaces of said blocks will be interrupted by bolts or screw ends orperforations `for the accommodation of suoli fastening means. Theinsulating segments composing the body of the drum are removably securedtothe heads 7, 8 by screws 8a, so that either of such body segments maybe readily removed to facilitate inspection or repair.

The end standards 3 and 4 of the support- Ying frame afford bearings foran operating shaft 15 andra toothed segment 16 secured to this shafttransmits motion to a gear 17 on the drum shaft for rotating the drum,and to the shaft 15 a suitable operating lever 18 is secured. In orderthat the drum shall be caused properly to move step by step relativelyto the contact fingers, a toothed wheel or segment 19 may be made as anintegral part of the drum head 7 and an arm 2O is mounted loosely on theoperating shaft and provided with a roller to engage said toothed wheel,the roller on said arm being caused to forcibly engage the toothed wheelby the operation of a spring 21 connected at one end with said arm andat its other end with the frame standard 3.

` seat, a limiting shoulder 23b for the contact lformed with an elevatedseat 23a to receive one end of a contact finger and at onel edge of eachfinger may be provided. Each contact finger 1 includes a comparativelybroad and substancopper' strips 27 are located.

tial strip 25 of suitable resilient metal, provided near one end withholes for the accommodation of screws 26 which also pass through holesin the seat portions 23EL of the brackets 23 for securingV the contactfingers to said brackets. Upon each resilient finger strip 26, aplurality of t-hin superimposed These thin strips are bowed as indicatedat 28 and near their rea-rv ends adjacent to their bowed Y'portion,elongated holes 27a are made for the passage of the screws 26, the headsof the latter bearing upon a plate 29 located upon the superimposedcopper strips. To the under face o-f each finger strip 25, a roundedcontact blank 30, equa-l in width with that of the finger, is secured bymeans of screws 3l which pass through holes in a plate 32 on the freeend portions of the superimposed copper strips, through holes in saidcopper strips 27 and the finger strip 26 and enter4 threaded sockets inthe Vcontact block 30. When the contact fingers shall have been securedin place, their resilience will be such that the Contact blocks at theirfree ends will be pressed against the contact plates of the drum withsuliicient force to insure intimate and effectual electrical contact.

A bracket`33 is secured on the bar or rail V22 near one end-of the drumand may supbracket 33. The movable member 39 of this cut-out is carriedby an arm 40 mounted loosely upon the operating shaft l5 and saidVmovable member is electrically connected with the first of the series ofcontact fingers (as indicated at 40a) so that the cut-out will beincluded in series in the ,controlled circuit. The free end of themovable cut-out member 39 is made with a flange or lip 39'EL to engagethe free end of the xed member 38 of said cut-out. To relieve thecontacts of the cut-out from the wearing effect of eX- cessive sparking,sparking contact-s are provided for said cut-outand are constructed tobetter withstandthe effects of sparking than will the main contacts. YInconstructing the sparking-contacts for the cut-out, I employ a'contactblock 4Gb of carbon which is secured to the bracket/33, and to themovable member 39 of the cut-out I secure spring lingers 41 projectinglover the flange or lip 39gl of the movable member 39 and provided withcomparatively large copper contact'blocks 42 to cooperate with thecarbon contact block 40b,-the construction and arrangement of partsbeing such that when the cut-out is opened, the sparking contacts willbe separated just after the separation of the main contact members ofthe cut-out.

The cut-out vis maintained closed during the normal operation of thecontroller, by

the action of a spring 43 attached at one end to the frame standard 4and at the other end to a lateral, projection 44 on the arm or support40 for the movable member of the cut-out.k The arm or support 40 isprovided on its under or rear side with atooth 45 and the drum shaft 5is provided with a notched arm 45@L to enga-ge said tooth to open thecut-out when the drum is at or returned to neutral position, theconstruction being such Vthat the cut-out will be openedjust prior tothe opening of the circuit at the drum and linger contacts of thecontroller and thus prevent sparking at said contacts.

A sleeve 46 is mounted loosely on the drum shaft and is provided withacam arm 47 to cooperate with a roller 48 on the lateral projection 44 ofthe arm or'support-40. The sleeve 46 is also provided with an L- shapedarm 50 with which a rod 49 is con-l nected. 'Ihe rod 49 is intended torconnection with a brake pedal or lever (not shown) so that when saidpedal orlever is'operated to apply the brake, the cam arm 47 willcooperate with the roller 48 and thus move the arm or support 40 so asto open the cut-out regardless of the position of the controller drumwhen the brake is applied.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and ters-Patent,is Y l. The combination with a controller drum and contact fingers, of acut-out `comprising a, fixed contact member and Va movable contactmember having a lip at its free end to cooperate with the free lend ofsaid xed member, and arcing devices comprising a fiXedcarbon blockhaving electricaly connection with the fixed contact member of thecut-out, a spring finger secured to the desire to secure by Letmovablemember of the cut-outV and extenda-` drum shaft, contact fingerscooperable with the contacts of said drum, an operating shaft, gearingbetween said operating shaft Y and the drum shaft, anl arm mountedloosely on.` the operating shaft, a movable cut-out member secured tosaid arm, a fixed cut-out In testimony whereof, I have signed thismember, and an arm carried by the drum specification in the presence oftwo subscribshaft and cooperable with the movable outing witnesses.

out member to open the cut-out when the CHARLES S. SCHROEDER. drumapproaches neutral position and to Witnesses: maintain said out-out openwhen the drum WILLIAM HENRY DONALDSON,

Vis at neutral position. THOMAS FRANCIS RICHARDSON,

